OK folks, we’re only about a day and a half from the premiere of The Last Jedi, so here we are returning to the TLJ line for a look at the newest wave of figures.  To kick things off, we have none other than the man, the myth, the legend…Luke Skywalker!  Although it is the second Luke figure available in the TLJ budget line (I’m not going to call it 5POA), it is the only figure from Hasbro in any scale in this outfit.  And he’s got a surprise for you…

This version of Luke is an excellent figure for the budget line.  The sculpt is very good.  The outfit has a nice amount of texture to it.  The face is decent for Old Man Luke.  The paint is fairly well applied, although he’s got an odd way of showing off the white hairs in his gray beard.  Hasbro continues to experiment with facial hair application.  Some day, they’ll nail it.  This outfit is simply painted, but it works well. 

There are a few nice touches here.  The rain coat is removable (minus the sleeves, of course).  Usually, such a feature leaves the figure looking a bit silly with the coat sleeves left behind, but in this case, it’s not too bad.  There is a small gap between the shoulders and the torso, which is kind of odd, and detracts a bit from the aesthetic of the jacket-less figure.  You’re better off leaving it on, but know that you could remove it if you wanted to.  The hood is a separate piece, kind of like on some Emperor Palpatine figures.  Removing the hood is totally fine for the look of the figure, and gives you a solid alternative option for display.  My only concern is that the hood’s plastic is a bit narrow and thin around the neck, so you may risk breakage if you’re overzealous with it, so just take it easy, okay?

The figure comes with a short staff.  Not sure how Luke makes use of this object, whether a walking stick, a weapon, or something else.  A clue might be given in the sounds from the Force Link chip, as there are some noises that seem to be that of a metal blade making contact with something.  Perhaps there is a knife hidden within the staff, or maybe that thin bit at one end is actually a blade, it’s just not painted as such.  We’ll find out soon enough!  The Force Link chip is a nice part of the line; I like the feature in general.

So yeah, about that staff.  Notice how Luke is able to hold it in the images above?  Yes!  It’s the THWG!*  How is this possible in a 5POA figure?  Well, it isn’t.  But it is possible in a 7POA figure!  That’s right kids, Hasbro threw in swivel wrists.  No, it’s not super articulated by any stretch, but this little surprise definitely adds to the display value of the figure.  It’s a nice step up.

I think this figure is about as good as can be reasonably expected from a figure in the budget line.  Yes, we gave Paige a score of 7 because of the groundbreaking helmet/mask accessory.  There is nothing groundbreaking about this figure, but it does exceed expectations because of the outfit options and the extra articulation.  I’m going to give it a 6.  Maybe a bit too generous, just because.  I am getting a little giddy about The Last Jedi on Thursday.  So 6 it is.

*Two Handed Weapon Grip.  Can you please get to know this acronym so I don’t have to explain it every time?